


I Want a Divorce

by madasthehatterforalice



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, AoU fix-it, I probably should have tagged that first, I seem incapable of writing anything else, I'm a sucker, I'm upping the rating for that, Kind of an open ending, M/M, also in AoS, and only talked about vaguely, but it's happy i promise, but it's off screen and in the past, complacent Natasha, it really is disturbing if you think about it, it's a happy ending, or Clint's well being over morality concerns Natasha, pay no attention to the title, pretty much fix-it crack, seriously, takes place during AoU so is only canon up till then, unethical treatment of children, which I guess is more like "ends justify the means" Natasha, which Tony does
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-25
Updated: 2016-10-25
Packaged: 2018-08-24 16:00:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,238
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8378491
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/madasthehatterforalice/pseuds/madasthehatterforalice
Summary: T.A.H.I.T.I. had four final subjects.An alternate scene for Clint's farmhouse.





	

“So… _this_ is where you’ve been hiding out since the Battle,” Tony said.

Clint nodded, “Well, here and recovery in Tahiti.”

Time seemed to stop for Tony right then. He’d read about project T.A.H.I.T.I. in the leaked Shield files Natasha had flooded onto the internet. “Tahiti?” he asked, he can see Steve out of the corner of his eye and _knows_ they’re going to be having a _talk_ no matter Clint’s response.

“It’s a magical place,” Clint replied and it’s in stereo as the same words fall from his daughters’ lips as well.

For a moment the Avengers just stare at them, the horror of it all rising up in Tony’s throat before it becomes too much. “I’m just gonna…yeah,” Tony started awkwardly before retreating outside to hopefully _not_ vomit in peace.

“Natasha, a word?” he could hear Steve start behind him.

“Steve…” she hedged.

“Oh, I insist.” Good ol’ Steve.

Tony only had the barest of moments alone before Natasha is frog-marched out by Steve, followed closely by Bruce and Thor.

“Alright,” Steve said, once the door is fully shut behind the last person, “Spill.”

It probably should have seemed surreal having this discussion on the front lawn of a country house and maybe it would have just 3 years ago but now? This was a Tuesday. A bad, very bad, horrifying Tuesday but a Tuesday nonetheless.

“We didn’t have a choice,” Natasha started.

“Not really clearing anything up for us, Romanoff, try again,” Tony tried to feel firm and use it in his voice but his stomach is still doing gymnastics.

“After the Battle, Clint…wasn’t himself. Loki had taken too much from him and it broke him. We did what we had to, to piece him back together.”

“And what about those kids? Or Laura? The woman’s pregnant for God’s sake.” Steve demanded.

“They are orphans from the Battle. We aren’t heartless. They forgot their pain and get a new Dad. As for Laura…Clint was widowed during Loki’s bid for power. They were trying for a family. Laura is their surrogate.”

“So what? You want us to believe this is some kind of _kindness_? Wiping his mind?” The idea that S.H.I.E.L.D. would put _kids_ through… _that_.

“It was this or let him kill himself!”

Then Bruce cut in with, “What I don’t get is: Project T.A.H.I.T.I. was shut down. We all know that.”

“It was,” Natasha agreed, “but it had four final subjects.”

“Clint and…” Tony had to swallow down the words.

“This child’s other parent,” his sentence is finished for him and they turned in synchronization to see Laura standing on the porch, “Mr. Stark wasn’t wrong. I am an agent, at least I was, before Hydra. Now I’m a placeholder for someone who can’t be here. One day Clint will remember, I will bow out, and he will finally have the family he truly wants. They didn’t wipe Clint’s memories, just rearranged and buried them.”

“Who were they?” Tony asked.

“Where?” Bruce corrected, receiving some strange looks, “Laura is talking about them like they are still alive and Natasha hasn’t corrected her. So Clint isn’t as much of a widower as he thought he was.”

At this point Tony was actually glad S.H.I.E.L.D. didn’t exist anymore. After everything Clint had been through with Loki and the Battle, for them to willfully take that final breaking piece away from him…It was enough to make Tony want to tear the organization to the ground himself.

“So the question is: Where are they?” Steve reiterated.

“That’s classified,” Natasha said.

“You might as well tell them. Clint is ready. It’s time.” Laura told her.

“That is not your call to make, Agent.”

 “Oh, please,” Laura responded, “S.H.I.E.L.D. fell and you spread what was left of it out there for the _world_ to see. Nothing is classified anymore.”

“ _I’m_ just trying to keep him safe.”

“ _You_ don’t have to see him everyday! Didn’t you wonder why he brought you here? He is _broken_ , all the while thinking he’s whole, and it is _tearing him apart_ ,” Laura cried out. “I can’t take it anymore.”

“Can’t take what, Sweetheart?” Clint asked from the doorway, suddenly making everyone aware of his presence.

“Oh, Clint,” Laura headed for him, voice thick with pity and Tony could see the helplessness on Natasha’s face as she did, because she knew there was nothing she can do to stop this. Laura reached Clint, took his hands in hers, leaned forward, and whispered in his ear, “I want a divorce.”

Clint’s face fell in that instant and just like that: the difference between Clint right after the Battle for New York and Clint while they were fighting Hydra was starkly illustrated. How had they all missed it for so long? How had they missed how empty that grim smirk had been?

“Where?” was all he asked when Laura released him.

“I don’t know,” she said, shaking her head, “All I have is an emergency number.” She handed him a worn piece of paper and he snatched it away, pulling a phone from god knows where.

The collected Avengers had never been so silent as they were watching Clint listen to his phone ring.

“I don’t care what you’re doing right now,” Clint said instead of a greeting, “but unless you want a divorce you’ll be at this location by sundown.” He hung up before the other person had a chance to respond and headed back inside without so much as a glance at anyone else.

* * *

By mutual unspoken decision _no one_ mentioned the afternoon’s events or their impending unnamed visitor for the rest of the day.

Steve was helping Laura set the table for dinner when they heard the distinct whirl of a quinjet landing not far from the house.

Silently the team gathered in the front room to wait, except Clint who was already sitting on the stairs staring at the door. He had been there since he got off the phone. Frozen like stone, giving the evil eye to anyone who got too close. He was flanked on either side by his daughters. They were bouncing eagerly in place, like they knew who they were waiting for and were too excited to hold still.

When the door _did_ finally open a ghost walked through.

“The hell?” was all Tony managed to get out before Clint cut his view off completely by wrapping the newcomer in an embrace of thank-god-you’re-not-dead proportions.

There were whispered affections Tony very specifically didn’t hear before the two turn their attention to the girls, now standing, begging for their turn.

“Uh, hello…” the ghost said and suddenly the two person hug has become a _four_ person hug.

“Ok, you guys are seeing this too, right?” Bruce asked, “Not just me?”

“Son of Coul! You live!” Thor exclaimed, crossing the room to sweep all four up in a giant Asgardian bear hug.

“Agent didn’t die?” Tony questioned, “Like, ‘Yay,’ and all that, but can I just say: What the hell?”

“Say whatever you want, Tony,” Clint said when Thor set them down, face taken over with a huge grin, “I don’t even care. I got my family back.”

“And its ‘Director’ to you, Stark,” Coulson said, still held tight by his giggling daughters.


End file.
